Changing Ends
by SweetLoveAngel2
Summary: Winning the war wasn't quite as satisfying as Zeref hoped it'd be. He thought the grief would unleash E.N.D.'s wrath or give Natsu enough strength to kill him. None of that happened and he was alone once again. Zeref retraced his steps, his sights now set on Lucy Heartfilia with a new plan. If grief couldn't push Natsu over the edge, maybe love could. NaLu, Rated T (for now)
1. Ch1, Prologue: The Beginning of the END

**Updated: 07-02-18**

 **Heya guys!**

 **Here I am, again, with another story!**

 **I'm currently in the middle of my resits and I know I shouldn't be writing, but I can't stand this anymore. The stress is eating me alive!**

 **About the other stories: they have been put on hold for a little while. After the 29** **th** **(of August :p) I can give you all updates on the rest!**

 **I wrote this story rather quickly, needing some outlet because all I've been doing for the past few weeks is studying :( and I just need something to distract me a bit.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail and sadly never will...**

* * *

 **SweetLoveAngel2**

 **Changing Ends - Chapter 01, Prologue: The Beginning of the E.N.D.**

* * *

 **Winning the war wasn't quite as satisfying as Zeref hoped it'd be. He thought the grief would unleash E.N.D.'s wrath or give Natsu enough strength to kill him. None of that happened and he was alone once again.**

 **Zeref retraced his steps, his sights now set on Lucy Heartfilia with a new plan. If grief couldn't push Natsu over the edge, maybe love could.**

 **NaLu, Rated T (for now)**

Zeref's gaze stared into the distance, black eyes searching for salvation that would never be spotted. Tears streaked his cheeks as death stared back, lifeless bodies sprawled over the battlefield in bloody heaps of flesh and bones.

"A-Are you ready, your majesty?" Dimaria wheezed as she tried to keep her bruised and battered body from slipping into unconsciousness, her feet trembling beneath her body upon seeing the result of the devastating battle that had abruptly been ended not too long ago.

Zeref glanced to his left, more tears running down his cheeks as he looked at his brother's cold body once more. For a moment, he thought that this was all a dream, an illusion created by Mavis to throw him off his game, but the heart-wrenching pain he felt in his chest reminded him of the cruel reality.

Dimaria looked at Natsu's body, a jolt of pain going through her very core upon fully realising what kind of pain the usually indifferent Emperor must have been feeling at that moment. She had never seen him this bothered, this defeated, this human.

Her body protested in painful ways when she reached out her hand to place it consolingly on his shoulder.

"Don't." His voice was firm, the seriousness that she had grown accustomed to making her feel more at ease somehow. It sent shivers down her spine, but she contentedly welcomed them.

Zeref tore his eyes away from the morbid scene, focussing his stare on Dimaria's brown eyes, trying his hardest not to look at the bloodbath that surrounded them.

"Take me to Layla Heartfilia."

And with those words, both mages left the dead behind in an unfinished tale. Their bodies started to dissipate into thin air, ready to begin a new story, with, hopefully, a better ending.

* * *

 **So what d'you guys think?**

 **I know it's like ultra-short, but I wasn't really sure about the second chapter, which is already written out btw, because my brain is currently in study-mode.**

 **The entire story is already written in my head, though I'm not sure whether I'll finish this because I'm just one big stressy mess due to the upcoming exams. I personally don't know if it's even any good because I wrote it to destress myself a bit.**

 **Should I continue this story? Let me know if you like the concept! I need something to motivate me (with both writing and studying)!**

 **Do you guys have exams too? If so, I'd love to hear about it! (It's nice knowing you're not the only one suffering :p)**

 **I love you guys!**

 **xxx ~Angel**


	2. Ch2, Us against the World

**Updated: 07-02-18**

 **Heya guys!**

 **First of all, I want to thank you for your support during these difficult times of stupid exams!**

 **I want to thank Mavis-dragneel-** **7** **for being this story's first reviewer! Sweetie, you'll always have a dear place in my heart!**

 **To** **Srae13** **: Thanks for being the first one to tell me to continue this story! I dedicate this chapter to you!**

 **To** **tuiandla75** **: Thanks for wishing me good luck!**

 **And also a big thanks to** **Keri-Jen** **for your sweet words!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail and sadly never will...**

* * *

 **SweetLoveAngel2**

 **Changing Ends - Chapter 2, Us against the World**

* * *

 _ **~Dedicated to Srae13~**_

Brown eyes carefully inspected her surroundings, a frown creeping up the young girl's face as disappointment hit her hard.

"There's only one magic store in this town?" She asked, bending down to meet the store owner's eye level.

"Yes," The old man backed up a bit. "This town is more prosperous in fishing than Magic to begin with." Lucy straightened up, her long white dress flowing with her movements. "Only less than ten percent of the townspeople can use magic…" He explained, making Lucy sigh in irritation.

' _We are aware of this already. Get a move on, Old Man!_ ' A voice rang in her mind, making her clutch her temple.

"So this store is mainly targeting travelling mages." He continued, a bit taken aback by her sudden attitude.

"I think I've wasted my time." Lucy turned to leave, not really liking being in such a crowded place.

"Please don't say that and have a look around." The man tried to persuade her to stay, hoping she'd maybe still buy something. "We have some new items, too."

The man took out one of the items, a 'Colors', which could easily change the color of one's outfit to correspond with their mood. Lucy was only half paying attention, her eyes searching for a specific item.

"I already have it." Lucy quickly answered before the man would try and get into even more detail about the item.

' _We could also just ask him._ ' A second voice spoke. ' _It's not that hard. We have a mouth. So why aren't we using it?_ ' Lucy sighed again at their impatience.

"I'm looking for the Keys of the Gates. Strong ones." She looked around, spotting what she had been looking for.

An elated expression crept on her face upon noticing the Key of the Canis Minor.

"How much is it?"

"20.000 jewels." The man answered.

' _He's got to be kidding us, right?_ '

Lucy ignored the comment and repeated her question. "I wonder how much it is."

"I said, 20.000 jewels." The man looked up at her suspiciously.

' _Let's just kiss him and take the Key._ ' Once again, Lucy pretended as if something dark in her mind hadn't voiced its desire.

"I wonder how much it really is." She leaned forward, showing her cleavage to the ogling old man.

"I guess a beautiful young woman such as yourself deserves some praise…" The man began, his finger tapping his chin in thought. "I could give you a discount… Because it's such a beautiful day…"

Lucy grinned.

"That'll be 19.000 jewels, miss." The man smiled as Lucy tried not to look hurt.

She paid for the Key in a hurry, not wanting to spend another minute with that stupid old man who didn't appreciate good looks.

"He only gave me a 1.000 jewel discount!" Lucy was talking to no one in particular, though one voice in her head felt the need to irritate Lucy even more.

' _We should've just kissed him while we had the chance_ _._ ' The voice spoke in an annoyed tone.

"Is my sex appeal only worth 1.000 jewels!?" Lucy let out her frustration on a billboard that crossed her path.

' _Well, I think we still look beautiful_ _._ ' The second voice said a little too cheerfully.

"Listen, you guys," She spoke aloud, but tried to keep her voice as low as possible. She remembered all too well how people had been staring at her on the train when she tried to shut those two up. "hush. For once, could you please just shut u-"

Lucy's attention was pulled away from the conversation as the excitement around her reached her ears.

"What's going on there?" She wondered, watching how a couple of women were squealing and screaming about something.

As the name Salamander reached her ears another big smile appeared on her face, remembering what she actually came to this town for.

' _I guess we're lucky to have found him this quickly._ ' For once, Lucy could agree and nodded her head excitedly as she followed the women to a square.

Lucy approached the crowd as she tried to keep herself from squealing along with the others.

' _Didn't Em-_ '

"Now hush! I can't think like this!" She ordered the two to shut up as she pushed through the crowd to get a better look.

' _What's this?_ '

Lucy felt it too, something strange had come over her, making her heart suddenly drum in her ears.

' _The lowly human thinks he can trick us._ ' The voices both burst out in laughter at the foolishness of the Mage in front of Lucy.

The man looked at Lucy, nearly making her faint from happiness as their eyes locked.

' _Too bad our Mistress can't seem to shake this annoying spell…_ '

"I-I'm trying." Lucy gritted her teeth, but her body moved on her own.

"Igneel!" Lucy's eyes locked with obsidian ones for a fleeting moment before the boy's eyes darted up to meet the Great Salamander.

' _Hmm, what an intriguing development._ '

Lucy didn't even hear the voice in her head snicker, she could only watch in awe as the pressure on her chest was lifted. She took in his appearance; pink, rosy locks, dark obsidian eyes, tanned skin, and an incredibly handsome face.

"Who're you?" The boy asked.

"Maybe you know me as Salamander." The man struck a strange pose, but the boy didn't stay to watch. He retreated through the crowd, shoulders slumped in disappointment.

Lucy watched as the group of crazy, obsessed women suddenly turned their anger towards the boy.

The scene unfolded before her eyes, giving her more and more reasons to pummel this Salamander jerk in the face.

She saw him 'save' the boy from the aggressive crowd and give him a signature, but the boy blatantly refused, evidently getting him thrown out of the crowd.

Lucy didn't even pay attention to the smug Mage anymore, her eyes staring at the pink-headed boy who watched in annoyance as Salamander left.

"He's really disgusting."

The boy turned his head around to look at where the voice had come from, effectively taking Lucy's breath away upon closer inspection of the young man's gorgeous features.

* * *

"Thanks for earlier." She smiled, two pairs of eyes looking up at her in confusion.

"Yhurr ah naiz burrzonn." The boy spoke as he stuffed his face. Lucy let out an embarrassed laugh, not understanding what he had said at all.

' _Oh, he thinks we're nice people._ '

"Yhup, yhup." The cat affirmed what his companion had said.

' _No, not_ us _. The cutie thinks_ she _is a nice person._ ' The other voice snickered.

' _Ohh, how very interesting indeed. This_ is _a lovely turn of events._ ' The first voice started to giggle, joining in on the fun secret Lucy didn't understand.

' _Especially since the poor boy couldn't be more wrong._ '

"You are Natsu and Happy, right?" Lucy repeated as her eyes lingered a few moments longer on the small blue cat. "I understand you, so just eat slowly." Food was flying everywhere as the two devoured their meal as if someone was going to take it from them.

"That Salamander guy was using Magic called 'Charm'." The cat looked at her as if she had suddenly grown a second head. "It's a magic that attracts other people's hearts to the caster and was already banned several years ago…" She explained while Happy munched on a fish.

Lucy paused, a frown on her face as she clenched her fists beneath the table. "How disgusting. Trying to get attention using such vulgar methods." She looked back up, the two in front of her still attacking their food, making Lucy wonder if they were even listening.

"Thanks to you guys jumping in, Charm wore off, though. I may not look like it, but I'm a mage, too." She smiled, earning herself a look from Natsu as he was ripping the meat off a bone. "I'm not a member of any guild yet, though."

She continued talking, explaining what a guild was, the two voices in her head screaming at her to just stop talking already.

"I'll surely join that guild." Lucy rested her chin on her hands. "I bet I can get many big jobs there."

"I… I see…" Natsu didn't quite know what to say.

"You talk a lot." The cat stated, making the two voices in Lucy's head yell in affirmation, giving Lucy a massive headache.

"By the way," Lucy spoke when the uproar in her head had simmered down. "aren't you guys looking for someone?"

"Aye. It's Igneel." Happy spoke before swallowing the last piece of fish.

The two explained their reason for coming to the Port Town, Hargeon, but Lucy didn't quite understand what they were saying.

"How could a human look like a salamander?" She asked, grateful the voices inside her head were still silent.

"Hmm?" Natsu stopped chewing the food he had in his mouth, looking at her as if what he was about to say was perfectly normal. "He's not a human. Igneel's a real dragon."

' _We found him._ '

"There's no way such a thing would be in this town!" Lucy raised her voice, not paying attention at all at the conversation that was going on in her mind.

' _She's just too stupid to comprehend it._ '

"Don't tell me you just only realized that!" She exclaimed when they froze at her previous statement.

' _How interesting! How will our Mistress react when she finally realizes it?_ '

' _We'll have to wait another hundred years before that dense idiot reaches our level._ '

' _Maybe we'll be lucky and he'll make the first move!_ '

' _Perhaps… Though we aren't the kind of creatures that are blessed with luck._ '

' _That's true… But our Mistress isn't like us, is she?_ '

' _Regretfully_.'

' _So she says…_ '

' _Yes, so I say. Let us not forget who we are and what we desire. More importantly,_ she _must not forget what we truly are._ '

' _We should not underestimate our Mistress. Maybe we're- No, maybe_ she _will be the one to finally end this. After all, she wasn't chosen just because of her charms._ '

"What's that about my charms?" Lucy cut in as she walked over to a bench in the park.

' _Where's the cutie?_ _Did we get dumped already?_ '

"We-" She quickly corrected herself. " _I_ did not get dumped!" Lucy hissed, not wanting to draw too much attention to herself as she leafed through the Weekly Sorcerer Magazine. "Geez, you guys are driving me crazy." She sighed. She wanted to say more, but something in the magazine caught her eye.

She hugged the magazine to her chest when she saw the Drawing Card of Mirajane, squealing like a little girl as she divulged herself further into the magazine.

"Fairy Tail is the best." She gushed.

' _Hmph, why are we getting so excited. Don't act like a kid. We haven't forgotten about our mission yet, have w-_ ' The voice didn't finish the sentence, noticing the presence before he had even spoken.

"I see. You want to join Fairy Tail."

Lucy jumped from her seat, surprised to see Salamander hiding suspiciously in the bushes behind her.

' _Walk away!_ ' The voices ordered her, making her even more irritated, something that she gladly worked out on the creep in front of her.

The conversation didn't last long and Lucy was already heading towards another direction.

"Wait up!" She ignored his pleas. "You! You want to join Fairy Tail, right?"

This made her stop in her tracks, the words echoing through her mind and drowning out the voices that told her to keep on walking.

Lucy turned around, making eye contact with Salamander. A shiver ran down her spine as their eyes met, but a smirk quickly worked its way onto her face.

' _That idiot! She's not listening to us at all!_ '

' _We were told we needed to let the Mistress walk her own path…_ '

'Her poor lack of judgement is going to get us killed.'

"C'mon guys, where's your enthusiasm? I just got our asses into Fairy Tail!" She cheered.

* * *

' _Oh my, she may truly become the death of us…_ '

" _Focus, Lucy."_

 _Adrenaline was rushing through her trembling frame at such a speed her heart felt like bursting._

 _Her teary eyes met with black ones, so endlessly empty she felt her whole mind being sucked in. Before she could lose herself, excruciating pain shot through her chest, making her body spasm and strain against the thorny bonds that held her down._

 _Fresh tears slipped from her eyes as she tried to blink the pain away. A bloodcurdling scream escaped her lips as a force pulled at something so deep in her core she felt as like her entire being was being torn apart from the inside out._

" _Finish it." His voice was calm, yet deadly._

 _Eyes, as red as the hot blood that dripped down from her wounds, forced her to bite through the torture._

" _C-come forth,-" Her voice failed her, air getting knocked out of her when she felt her magic collide against the darkness in her body. She gritted her teeth, digging her nails into the flesh of her palms as she continued the spell. "Lady C-"_

Lucy's eyes shot open, the starry night sky staring down at her.

"It's been a while since I've had that dream..." Lucy spoke absentmindedly to herself, forgetting, for just a moment, she wasn't alone. She forced her heavy body off the bed, shivering when her bare feet touched the tiled floor. "Why did you show me this, Camio?" She asked as she walked out onto the balcony and leaned forward on the railing of the old hotel.

' _You're forgetting why we're doing this, Lucy. You're forgetting why we have to endure this. You need to stop acting like a child an-_ '

"I must've really pissed her off, huh, Glasya." Lucy spoke to the second entity, cutting off the first's scolding. "Calling me by my name all of a sudden." She laughed, easing up the tension that had started to arise.

' _Please, Mistress Lucy, we are just worried… If something happens and you die-_ '

' _If you screw up we'll be the ones receiving Emperor Zeref's punishment!_ '

"He's not an Emperor yet." Lucy stated, both voices gasping at her dangerous words.

"Listen," Lucy spoke softly as she turned to head back inside. "I know I haven't done anything to earn your trust yet and I know I've still got a few things to learn – a lot of things actually – but I'm asking you guys to trust me on this." She unfastened the round golden brooches on her shoulder that kept her attire together and slipped out of the long white pleated robe when it fell to the ground.

She looked herself over in the mirror, her eyes settling on the bruise that had formed on her sternum. She traced her fingers lightly over the blackened skin that slowly started to disappear again.

She grinned widely in the mirror, snapping her fingers that made a dark purple dress appear on her naked body as she voiced her excitement. "Now, let's get this party started."

* * *

The music and the clatter of people on Salamander's boat made it almost impossible to hear the flattering words that were addressed to her.

"Lucy, huh? That's such a pretty name." The aforementioned man spoke to her with a flirtatious look in his eyes.

Lucy forced a smile on her face as she thanked the man for the compliment that had made a shiver run up her spine.

' _We could've been at Fairy Tail's already…_ ' Lucy heard Camio complain in her head, making her jaws clench as she tried not to let her smile fall. She knew what Camio was talking about, but couldn't afford to shut her up at this moment, not wanting these creeps to think she was crazy.

A smug smile formed on Salamander's face as he offered her wine that she tried to refuse.

' _Be careful._ ' The voices warned her about the drink, but Lucy had already noticed the magical scent that the red liquid emitted.

"Try opening your mouth." He said with a smooth voice. "Pearls of wine will slowly float in." He made a motion with his hand, forcing the drops of wine to fight against gravity and drift towards her.

She rose to her feet, abruptly slapping the magical wine away that spilled all over the wooden floor.

"What are you planning?" She voiced the question to which she already had the answer. The man was amused, almost seeming impressed at her alertness.

' _Behind us!_ '

The voices called out to her, but she remained where she was, her fierce gaze staring down at the pathetic man in front of her.

"You're a bad girl." His voice changed, his tone darker, more twisted, but Lucy still didn't move.

She let herself get grabbed from behind, feigning surprise and fear as she struggled against the not so very strong grip the men had on her arms.

"Who are you?" She demanded, needing to draw out their plans.

She was forcefully grabbed by her chin and pulled forward. "Welcome to out slave ship." Salamander spilled his secrets without any hesitation as he leaned in closer to her face.

That was all Lucy needed to hear for her to spring into action. She pulled her arm free, a grin now evident on her face as she reached for her Keys that hung on a chain, attached to a small belt around her upper leg.

Then her smile fell, her hand grabbing at nothing but air.

Annoyance hit her hard when she realised she hadn't noticed Salamander taking her Keys.

' _You idiot!_ ' She heard Camio curse at her, but she just rolled her eyes at the incessant screaming in her head.

' _Don't worry, Our Mistress still has a plan!_ ' Glasya's encouraging words backed her up.

"… a magic only Celestial Spirit Mages can use. Meaning it's useless for me." Lucy's heart sunk as she watched Salamander throw her keys away.

' _A plan that has just flown out the window…_ ' Camio's voice was soft, but Lucy could hear the anger and venom she had yet to unleash at her.

"Let me brand you as the slave you are." The man held out a branding iron, glowing red hot in her face as he brought it closer.

A painful throb pounded in her chest, making Lucy's mind go blank before the hot iron had even touched her skin.

"No…" Her voice came out in a whisper, the pain wreaking havoc in her body. "don't..."

"Don't?" Salamander laughed at her plea, but Lucy was no longer able to hear him.

' _Let us take over~_ ' The voices in her head sang to her, the pounding increasing with each passing moment, making tears stream down her cheeks as she desperately tried to push back the force that was pulling at her core. The world lost its colour and Lucy's senses were slowly being overtaken.

The dull sound of a crash reached Lucy's ears and she forced herself to look up at the source of all the commotion.

There he was; broad shoulders hidden beneath a dark coat, a scaly white scarf around his neck and rosy, pink locks that made her heart pound for different reasons.

In an instant, the painful throbbing dissipated and Lucy regained control of her senses.

"Natsu!" She wiped at her tears as a smile crept back on her face. She looked down towards her chest, the bruising on her sternum, once again, disappearing into her skin.

As soon as Natsu's body took notice of the swaying boat, he slumped to his knees, making Lucy rush towards him.

"No," He croaked as his motion sickness got the better of him. "I can't take it."

' _How lame…_ ' Camio spoke in her mind, making Lucy want to defend the poor boy, but she didn't get the chance.

"Lucy!" Someone called her from above. "What are you doing?" Happy asked as he flapped his wings to stay in the air.

' _Did he have wings before?_ ' Glasya asked the question Lucy had also been thinking about.

Before she knew it, Lucy was lifted from the wooden floor, Happy trying desperately to get her up and out through the hole Natsu had created when he had barged in through the roof.

Lucy glanced back at Natsu. He was still on his knees, trying to keep from hurling.

"Wait! What about Natsu?" Lucy knew Natsu would be able to take care of himself, knowing full well who the boy was, though seeing him in this state of helplessness made her doubt that.

Happy could dodge several attacks from both Salamander and his henchmen just in time before he casually informed Lucy that he could no longer hold his transformation.

Before Lucy could retort, they both fell towards the sea and were engulfed in its waves.

' _Lucy~_ ' Another throb shot through her chest, making her release her breath for a split second. She took in a bit of the salty water, the pounding increasing heavily.

A gleam of gold caught her eye and she forced herself to ignore the pain and reach for her Keys. She swam closer, her body protesting painfully at her movements, but she pushed through nonetheless.

She pushed herself off on the rocks as soon as she grabbed hold of the keychain, quickly grabbing Happy by his tail and rushed back towards the surface.

She gasped for air, taking in a few deep breaths before taking one of the Gate Keys between her slender fingers.

' _Lucy~_ ' The voices sang her name. ' _Why won't you let us help~_ '

"Open the Gate of the Water Bearer!" She summoned, calling upon the spirits to aid her. "Aquarius!"

In a puff of golden light, a pillar of water arose from the depths of the ocean.

Happy looked at Lucy as if she had really grown a second head this time.

"I'm a Stellar Spirit Mage. I can use the Keys of the Gates to summon Stellar Spirits from another wo-" Her explanation was cut short when a murderous glare made her lose her voice.

"W-what are you so mad about?" She asked in a hesitant voice.

"How many times have I told you not to drop the Keys?!" She scolded Lucy with so much anger in both her voice and her glare, Lucy wanted to drown herself in the sea.

Without having to voice her command, Aquarius did what Lucy wanted and released her Water Magic on the nearby ship.

Lucy had grabbed Happy just in time before the tidal wave hit them, knowing all too well she wouldn't be spared from Aquarius' wrath.

When Lucy opened her eyes again, she saw Aquarius' form starting to fade before she informed Lucy not to bother her for a while because she was going on a date with her boyfriend.

Lucy wanted to protest, but her Spirit had already vanished to the Spirit Realm.

' _Damn, she scares us…_ ' The voices in her head trembled.

"Yeah," Lucy admitted, shaking her head. "Me too…"

She quickly got to her feet when a soaked Happy mentioned Natsu, following the cat into the lower deck of the ship.

"Natsu! Are you oka-" Her question was left unasked, the look in Natsu's eyes making her throat go dry.

Salamander was speaking to him, but neither Lucy nor Natsu cared what the creep had to say.

Natsu stared him down, pulling off his coat, readying himself for battle. Lucy's eyes stared at the red guild mark on his arm, having heard stories about it, but finding it even more amazing in person.

Lucy shook out of her trance when she heard Salamander order his men to attack. She reached for her Keys, wanting to assist the young Mage in front of her.

"Don't worry." Happy stopped her, much to her irritation.

Natsu stalked closer to Salamander, effortlessly pushing aside the henchmen that tried to block his path. "You say you're a mage of Fairy Tail…" He began, the anger he felt evident in both his voice and his actions.

"I am Natsu from Fairy Tail and I've never seen you before!"

A smile crept up on Lucy's face. Lucy had known from the beginning who he was and what he was capable of, even though she never voiced her knowledge.

"Bora!" One of the men yelled as Natsu planted his fist in 'Salamander's' face.

"Stupid! Don't tell him my real name!" 'Salamander' yelled back from the ground.

' _We apologize for trying to possess your body, Mistress._ ' Lucy watched in amusement as men stumbled and tried to get as far away as possible from Natsu as he let his anger out for using the Fairy Tail name.

"It's okay." Lucy laughed as she watched Natsu take an attack that engulfed him in scorching flames. Happy glanced at Lucy, a frown appearing on his face at Lucy's normal reaction. "I know you can't help yourselves." She finished her sentence, her eyes meeting with Happy's.

"Who are you?" The cat asked her suspiciously, backing away a bit when she crouched down to his level.

Behind the little feline Natsu had started to eat the flames that had been surrounding him, enjoying the free meal.

"Now I'm all fired up." He spoke as Lucy engaged herself in a staring contest with Happy.

"Shouldn't we be getting somewhere safer?" Lucy stated, tilting her head a bit while she was at it.

"Natsu won't hurt me."

"I know. I just meant that we might want to get out of his way. So we don't bother him." Lucy gave the confused cat a smile before reaching out to him.

' _What the hell are you doing!_ ' Camio screamed in her head. ' _You're gonna ruin everything_.'

"Can you keep a secret?" Happy didn't answer, but he let himself get picked up by Lucy. "I know about Fairy Tail. And I know about Natsu. I know about his Dragon Slayer Magic and about the one that taught him, the Fire Dragon King, Igneel."

"How do y-" Lucy didn't give the small feline time to voice his question and cut him off, knowing the Military would soon arrive.

"Promise me to keep my secret and I'll tell you all about it."

"I won't lie to Natsu."

"I'll tell him too… Just not no-" Lucy's sentence ended in a scream as she was suddenly pulled backwards by her arm and she was forced to release Happy.

"Let's run!" Natsu dragged her along, a death grip on her wrist. "You want to join Fairy Tail, right?"

She made brief eye contact with Happy, who was now flying next to her. He stared at her for a second before he smiled at her and gave her a nod of his head.

Natsu's dark eyes locked with her chocolate brown ones. "Then come with me!" He gave her a toothy grin that made her heart skip a beat.

A bright smile appeared on Lucy's lips, tears appearing at the corners of her eyes. "Okay!"

* * *

 **And so, their adventure began anew. What awaits them in the future? Despair? Or love?**

 **What do you think?**

 **I know the chapter doesn't always correspond exactly to the manga and I did that because you'd be (re)reading Fairy Tail if you guys had wanted that ;)**

 **Though, no worries, I'm not planning on going through the entire manga. I'll skip some parts unless you really want specific parts to be included! Tell me beforehand if you do ;)**

 **I have a lot of ideas that I wanna put in, but I'm also curious about your** **headcanons** **!**

 **I might even put some of 'em in, so don't be shy and share them with me! ;)**

 **Lots of love!**

 **~Angel**


	3. Ch3, Hidden Demons

**Hey guys!**

 **First of all, thanks for the many follows and favorites on this story! I really love it!**

 **To** **Mazelover** **: I want love to await them too, but I'm also a sucker for angst and tragedy ;) We'll just have to see which mood I'm in, I guess :p**

 **To** **Srae13** **: I like the way you think and you're not completely wrong! I originally thought about writing it like how you said or similar to it, but decided not to because I felt like it had been done a lot of times. I'm still thinking about maybe integrating it in the future, but it won't be that easy because of how I made this new timeline.**

 **And finally, to** **Johnny Spectre** **: I hope you won't be disappointed when you find out**

 **So without any further ado, here's the new chapter! I wanted it to be done before tomorrow because tomorrow's my birthday and I wanted to give you all something nice. So please enjoy! ^^**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail and sadly never will...**

* * *

 **SweetLoveAngel2**

 **Changing Ends - Chapter 03, Hidden Demons**

* * *

Lucy looked up at the big building with amazement and utter joy gleaming in her eyes. She couldn't believe she had finally arrived at the infamous guild, Fairy Tail. Her childhood dream had finally become a reality and for a moment she thought this had to be a trick, cast upon her by one of the mischievous voices in her head. She knew they didn't possess enough power to do something like that, but her rational thoughts were pushed aside by the echoing squealing of the two girls that occupied her mind. They were just as excited as she was and she couldn't help but smile brightly.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail!" Happy cheered, a big smile on his small face as well.

Natsu remained silent, however, staring at Lucy in awe as he took in the expression on her face. When their eyes met, he quickly looked away and cleared his throat before pushing open the big double doors that lead to paradise.

Time slowed down, the seconds ticking by ever so slowly and her heart seemed to stop in her chest, the beating reduced to an occasional thump that reminded her she was still alive and that she was really experiencing this magical moment.

Lucy stepped forward, entering the rowdy place when suddenly the pressure in her chest felt so heavy her knees were shaking.

"We're home!" Natsu yelled at the top of his lungs, but all Lucy could hear were muted words as the guild members started to brawl, the pounding in her chest distracting her.

' _Keep your guard up!_ ' Lucy dared not answer Camio, afraid the mages in front of her would hear.

She didn't quite know what, but something was bothering her to the point where she couldn't move from her spot by the door.

' _Mistress, do you feel it?_ ' It was unmistakable. As the question was voiced, Lucy felt the immense powers as well, though not fully able to pinpoint its location. ' _There are demons here._ '

"My, a newcomer?" A sweet voice rang in her ears. Sound returned to her in an instant and the pressure that had subdued her became heavier. She didn't know why, but as her eyes locked with bright blue eyes, she suddenly had the urge to cower in her spot, but at the same time squeal in delight.

Before her stood the infamous Mirajane Strauss.

Mira gave her a bright smile, but Lucy couldn't enjoy the moment because the noises and screams from the brawl distracted her immensely.

"Don't you have to stop them?" Lucy asked as she watched Natsu fight against his guild members.

Mira stared at Lucy, making the blonde subconsciously take a small step back. In that moment, Lucy noticed how quiet the two females in her head had become and suddenly she felt very vulnerable and exposed.

"It happens all the time." Mira smiled, turning her piercing gaze from Lucy as she looked at her guildmates with amusement. "You don't have to worry about it and-" Lucy's fear instantly disappeared and movement returned to her body when Mira fell to the ground, blood oozing from the wound on her head. "isn't it fun this way?"

' _She scares us..._ ' The voices admitted, making a shiver run down Lucy's spine.

Without hesitation, Lucy reached out and examined the wound, making sure Mira was okay. Because of this, she noticed the escalation of the brawl too late, the voices screaming at her to watch it.

As Lucy turned, ready to defend herself and Mira from the magic that was welling up inside the guildhall, a voice boomed from above, stopping everyone's movements.

"That's enough." A humongous monster appeared and Lucy had a hard time calming the two alarmed voices in her head. "Cut it out, you fools!" When the guild fell silent, the two voices in her head calmed down as well.

' _Be careful, Mistress. Don't let him see us._ ' Glasya warned, making Lucy gulp. She had heard about Makarov Dreyar, Guild Master of Fairy Tail, and she knew he was a very powerful man. Despite knowing that, Lucy still wondered if the Master was powerful enough to become a problem for her. She needed to become a part of Fairy Tail, her instructions couldn't have been any clearer.

"Hm, a newcomer?" The voice pulled Lucy out of her thoughts, suddenly afraid the Master would find out and attack them.

The man stared at her for a moment, before he bent down to inspect her face closer. "Nice to meet you." The man said when he had shrunken down, his intimidating form now nowhere to be seen.

' _Maybe he isn't as powerful as we thought?_ ' Glasya voiced her relief when the man jumped back up to the second floor, but Lucy knew better. A guild Master could not be so easily fooled and she couldn't afford to drop her guard around the man. There was too much at stake.

"You've done it again, fools." The man began his lecture, but Lucy was deep in thought when Makarov mentioned the Council. She listened intently, ready to soak up as much information as she could, knowing it might save her life in the near future.

' _Most of the damage was done by that cutie._ ' Camio drew Lucy's attention to Natsu, who looked rather nervous when the Master continued to list the damages done by his hand.

Lucy's eyes met with Happy's, who was sitting beside Natsu on the floor. The stare made Lucy think about what had happened in Hargeon, a soft sigh escaping her lips. She still hadn't had time to talk with the feline, but she hoped that after they'd settled in, she could have some alone time with him to explain everything.

"Forget about the council members." Makarov spoke, igniting the accusing documents in his hand and throwing it away. Natsu nimbly caught the flaming snack, an amused smile coming to Lucy's lips as she watched. "Listen up."

Lucy glanced around the guild, each and every one of them silently listening to their Master. She could see the admiration and respect visible in their eyes. Then she noticed the guy sitting next to some barely clad woman. As if he could feel her eyes on him, he turned his head and stared back at her.

' _Too bright._ ' Camio complained when the guy winked at them. Lucy quickly looked away, a frown on her face as she tried to figure out what this feeling in her chest meant. Unlike the heavy weight she felt on her chest before, this feeling was so much lighter. She couldn't quite explain, but it somehow reminded her of her mom's warmth.

"That's the way of the Fairy Tail mages!" Cheers broke out around her, halting Lucy's thoughts in an instant. A huge party erupted and everyone started drinking and celebrating as if it was their last night on Earthland.

In the distance, Lucy could see Happy and Natsu sitting at a table, they were talking to someone, but Lucy couldn't make out what they were saying. A small smile graced Lucy's lips as she saw Natsu almost inhale his fiery food.

"You want it here?" Mira's sweet voice pulled Lucy back to their conversation.

"Yes!" She said with joy.

' _Why on your hand?_ ' Camio asked, but Lucy couldn't answer her in front of Mira.

She felt the swell of magic seep through her skin and through her body as the pink mark appeared on her pale skin.

"There, now you are a part of Fairy Tail." Mira mused.

"Whoa!" Lucy admired the mark on her hand, happiness welling up inside. "Natsu, look!" She held up her hand. "She gave me the mark of Fairy Tail!" Lucy cheered.

Natsu stared at her for a moment, taking in her happy expression. "Good for you, Luigi."

"It's Lucy!" She corrected, her happiness gone in an instant. She had expected Camio to say something about Natsu's rudeness, but surprisingly, both voices remained silent.

Lucy watched Natsu get to his feet, one of his guild members asking him where he was going.

"Work, cause I got no money." He simply stated, strolling over to the guild's request board.

Lucy quickly looked around to see if it was safe to address the two females living in her thoughts, while she was at it, she also looked for Happy. When the coast seemed clear she asked in a whisper so quiet, Lucy herself started to wonder if she had even spoken the words. "Are you guys okay?"

' _Ugh... We don't feel so good..._ ' Glasya admitted with a heavy voice. ' _All this positive energy is bad for us..._ '

Lucy knew a guild mark held a lot of meaning and power, but she never would have guessed that it would make the two girls this miserable. She almost felt sorry for them. Almost, knowing that they were strong enough to recover from this rather quickly.

For the time being, Lucy wouldn't complain, ready to enjoy some peace and quiet in her head.

Lucy overheard the conversation between Makarov and a young boy as she made her way to the bar. She started a conversation with Mira, needing some more information about Magnolia and the surrounding towns before she could go on her way.

"Well, we're the only guild in Magnolia, but requests sometimes come from other cities as well. Omibus, Kumugi, Oshibana, Clover Town, Mount Hakobe and Akane Beach often sent their request to our guild because we're closest. Hargeon, however, sends its requests to Lamia Scale as well since the port town lies close to Margaret Town." Mira explained while wiping a glass.

"What happens to the requests that nobody is able to complete?" Lucy questioned, sipping from the drink Mira had given her.

"All requests pass by the Master first. He decides whether the quest is too dangerous or difficult to accomplish for regular mages. That's why none of the requests tend to hang on the board longer than a few months."

' _What about the difficult requests?_ ' Camio asked the question Lucy herself was already thinking about. She opened her mouth to ask, but Mira had already started talking again.

"The other requests are labeled S-Class and can only be done by those who have passed the S-Class exam. Those requests hang on a different board on the second floor. You're not allowed up there, though, unless you're S-Class."

Lucy gave Mira a look, her confused eyes already asking the question before her mouth could.

"It's so they don't get temped. The S-Class requests are very high paying jobs and the reward could potentially get someone killed. For safety measures, no one is therefore allowed to even look at them."

' _We need to get up there!_ ' Camio voiced her impatience, making Lucy feel even more on edge.

"How do you become an S-Class mage?" Lucy knew she could get her hands on one of those requests, but it would be so much easier if she were just allowed access to them without having to sneak around.

"At the end of each year, an S-Class Trial is held to determine whether the selected Fairy Tail Mages are ready to be part of the elite S-Class Mages. The exam consists out of several trials designed to test the skills and competence of the candidates."

"Who're the current S-Class M-" Lucy cut her sentence off, trying her best to ignore the Master's stare. The man was seated on the bar, not too far from where Lucy was sitting and had been glancing at her ever since she brought up the subject.

"Is my dad back yet?" A young voice forced the Master to turn his attention away from Lucy.

' _Mistress, we need to be careful. Their Master already seems to suspect something._ ' Glasya pointed out, making Lucy gulp. For a moment, she started to contemplate if it weren't easier to tell the Master about her reason for coming to Fairy Tail. If what she had heard about the Master was true, then she wouldn't be in any danger.

' _Don't be an idiot. We know what you're thinking. Telling the old man would go directly against Emperor Zeref's instructions!_ ' Lucy knew Camio was right, but she also knew – by the way Zeref had talked about Fairy Tail's Master – that he held a great deal of respect towards the Master. At times she doubted admiration was all he felt.

"Idiot!" Lucy's gaze followed Mira's, watching with wide eyes as the child punched their Master in the face before running away in tears.

"It's very strict in here, isn't it?" Lucy stated out loud.

"Master is like that, but he's worried about Macau, too." Mira explained.

A crash was heard, making Lucy turn her head towards Natsu. He had slammed the request he was looking at straight into the wall before he walked away, a determined look on his face. Lucy knew what he was about to do, reminding herself that this would be the perfect opportunity to talk to Happy.

Despite this, Lucy couldn't help but hesitate. Instead of going straight to the feline she asked Mira about Natsu, feeling the sudden urge to understand him more.

"The same thing happened to Natsu. Maybe he saw himself in Romeo." Mira's voice was awfully quiet. "Natsu's father hasn't come back ever since he left. Though, by father, I meant a foster parent. And he's a dragon."

Lucy faked her reaction. "How could I believe that!" After Happy figured her out, she knew she had to be more careful not to let people see how much she actually knew. She played along as Mira explained how Natsu was raised by Igneel and how he was left by him.

"Natsu is looking forward to seeing Igneel one day. Isn't he cute?" Mira leaned over the bar, her smile too close to Lucy's face, making her nervous.

Suddenly, that smile fell, and a painful crack could be heard in Mira's voice. "Mages of Fairy Tail are all carrying something… And I as well…"

It was in that moment of weakness, Lucy felt something that made her entire core shake. She quickly got to her feet, hastily thanking Mira for the drink before she ran out after Natsu.

"What was that?!" Lucy asked the two as she ran as fast as her feet could carry her.

' _Countess Halphas and Princess Sitri._ ' Lucy's mind was in turmoil. How could Mira be possessed by two demons and still be alive, be so in control? Thinking about it made even more questions rise up in her already scrambled mind.

"Was that the heavy feeling I felt when we entered the guild?" She asked, her lungs forcing her to stop. ' _They outrank us._ ' She heaved heavy breaths, trying to get more oxygen into her system. Her knees were still shaking and she had to steady herself on a nearby bench.

"We need to help Mira!" She exclaimed frantically.

"Why?" The voice made Lucy jump, her knees finally giving out.

"Happy," She breathed, relief washing over her. "what are you doing here?"

The cat didn't reply to her question, one of his own spilling from his lips. "What's wrong with Mira?" He asked, concern in his big, round eyes.

"She's got-" Lucy stopped.

"Does this have to do with what happened in Hargeon?" Happy asked.

Lucy let out a deep sigh. "Where's Natsu?"

"He's trying to find us a ride to Mount Hakobe." Happy answered, his eyes still staring her down with so many unasked questions.

"Come on," She rose to her feet. "let's talk somewhere more private."

Happy hesitated for a moment, looking behind him. Lucy figured the cat was debating whether to go with her and make Natsu wait a little longer or to leave without any answers. "Where are we going?" He finally asked, his small wings bringing him off the ground.

"To my apartment, of course." Lucy winked.

"You're going to show me your apartment?" Happy asked in awe.

' _Are you really going to tell him about us?_ ' Glasya voiced her worries.

"Yes I am."

* * *

 **I know this chapter was rather short, but I did this because the chapter would otherwise be way too long.**

 **Please let me know what you think! I'm so excited! Things will really get interesting from here and I just can't wait reading your reactions!**

 **Some of you already sent me messages with their headcanons and I absolutely love them! I'll try my best to put them into my story because I too wish for some of them to become a reality!**

 **I just wanted to say that you may also send your headcanons through a review because I'm afraid I'll miss them in all the messages in my inbox!**

 **PS. My most recent exams were a big success! :D Hope yours went just as great!**

 **Love,**

 **~Angel**


	4. Ch4, Sealed Secrets

**Hey guys!**

 **So, as some of you may already know, I've been trying to be more active again. This means that I'll be posting a chapter each week of a different story. For those who read last week's chapter of 'A Princess' Dragon Tale', you might remember me writing something about updating 'The Bonds that Bind' this week, but in all honesty, I didn't have any inspiration at all, so I decided to put that story officially on hold for now.**

 **To** **Srae13** **: thanks for consistently reviewing on the chapters! It really means a lot!**

 **As for this chapter, I know I usually update on Wednesdays, but I stayed home from school today because of a high fever and I guess I had some extra time to write in between my naps.**

 **This chapter is a bit longer than the previous one so enjoy the read!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail and sadly never will...**

* * *

 **SweetLoveAngel2**

 **Changing Ends - Chapter 04, Sealed Secrets**

* * *

"I know it's not that much, but for 70.000 jewels, I'm quite satisfied with this place." Lucy smiled as she let the small cat inside her new apartment.

"Why's it empty?" Happy asked the moment he stepped inside.

"Because I've only bought it this morning." Lucy said as she grabbed a roll from between her boxes and unrolled the large carpet so they could at least sit on something somewhat comfortable.

"This morning?" Happy's small paws joined her hands, trying his best to help unroll the heavy thing.

"Yes, during the guild party. Mira told me about this place so while you were all busy I rushed over here and settled the sale with the Landlady. My belongings were teleported here, though I still haven't had time to unpack. Also, the furniture is still on its w- Hey! Don't sharpen your nails on my wall!" Lucy grabbed the feline by his fur, yanking him away from the wall of her precious new apartment and set him down in front of her onto the yellow carpet.

Lucy stared at Happy, waiting for him to ask her all the questions he'd been dying to ask, but the cat just stared back at her.

"Happy," Lucy sighed. "Isn't there anything you wanted to ask me?"

"Do you have any fish?" He asked her, an innocent, yet serious expression on his face.

' _I don't think we should tell our biggest secret to such a simple creature…_ ' Camio's irritated voice rang through Lucy's mind, making her own patience run drier by the second.

"About me." Happy didn't react. "And about Natsu."

At the mentioning of his best friend's name, Happy's expression changed. He looked worried, confused, scared, and guilty all at the same time.

"Am I in trouble?" He asked in a small voice, his big eyes staring up at Lucy. "Are you going to hurt me?"

"W-what?" Lucy was perplexed. Did she look that dangerous? "Of course not, Happy! I wouldn't hurt you! And Natsu either!"

"Who are you then? Why do you know so much about Natsu? And what's wrong with Mira, I still want to know!" His voice became more erratic, the worry evident in his voice.

' _Poor guy, he's terrified._ ' Glasya's voice made Lucy's expression soften. She had seen it too, the change that showed how much Happy cared for his friends, Natsu especially.

"Happy, I'm not here to hurt anyone. In fact, I'm here to save everyone." Lucy spoke, a soft smile on her lips.

' _Careful.'_ Camio warned. ' _Tell him too much and we might change the future in a bad way._ '

"You see, Happy, the reason why I know so much about Natsu is because someone told me all about him."

Before Happy could add more questions to his list, Lucy continued with her explanation, grabbing her bag. She pulled out a notebook and ripped out a page before she started to scribble something on it.

"My friend, the one who told me about Natsu, travelled back from the future." Lucy pointed at the 'x' marked on the timeline. "The time where he came from was very grim and he didn't tell me a lot, only that if we don't become strong enough, our future will be taken from us."

"I- I don't understand." Happy confessed, his paw tracing the line Lucy drew on the piece of paper.

"That's okay, you don't have to completely understand everything yet. Just know that I'm here to help." Lucy smiled, Happy's eyes locking worriedly with hers.

"Are we going to die?" Happy voiced his fears, the tremble in his voice unmistakable.

Lucy couldn't stop herself from pulling the feline into her arms. She hugged him tightly against her chest, refusing to let his trembling body go. "Not if I can help it!" She looked at Happy's scared expression. "I promise I'll protect you guys!"

* * *

After she made her promise to Happy, the feline had suddenly rushed out of her apartment, telling her that Natsu must've been worrying about him. She had followed them on their mission without even thinking about her actions and before she knew it, she was being kidnapped by a horny monkey.

Lucy never thought it would've been so hard for her to hold back her real powers, knowing that she could've easily defended herself.

She wasn't even supposed to accompany Natsu and Happy in the first place, knowing she had more pressing things to do, but she somehow ended up joining them on their rescue mission anyway.

She still hadn't told Happy anything really and it bothered her quite a lot. She only told him she wasn't a threat, but how much faith did Happy put in her words? If he said anything to Natsu, she'd be in a whole new predicament.

Sure, she was planning on telling him sooner or later, but only if she didn't have any other choice. She knew she needed to change the future, but she had no idea what should and shouldn't be changed.

For a moment, she felt angry with Zeref for only telling her about her own mission. She knew nothing of the plans he was making when she wasn't around and it made uneasiness stir in her stomach, which in turn made the two girls in her head uneasy as well.

She was already working against the clock and having Natsu distract her wasn't any good either. She knew she needed to stay by his side, but she also felt conflicted doing so beca-

' _Watch o-_ ' Camio tried to warn her, but Lucy had already bumped straight into Natsu's back.

"Are you okay?" He asked, turning around, his face now inches from hers as he stared her down. "You've been weird ever since you joined us on that mission."

"D-Didn't Igneel teach you about personal space?" Lucy sputtered, her face completely red when she felt the warmth radiate off his skin. Lucy quickly took a step back, her hands up against Natsu's chest to create some distance between them.

"Igneel? Wha-" Before Natsu could question her, she had already turned on her heels.

"I need to go, Natsu." She waved. "See you at the guild or something."

' _That was rude! How can you just walk away from such a cutie?!_ ' Camio scolded, but Lucy wasn't in the mood so she just ignored her as she marched home.

' _You do realize you can't keep secrets from us. Don't forget we've got full access to your heart._ ' The reminder made Lucy even more irked.

She pulled out her key and opened the door to her apartment, stepping in with a sigh. She was utterly exhausted. She stretched her body, groaning when a few bones cracked and decided she was in dire need for a bath.

' _How bold of you, Mistress,_ ' Glasya voiced her thoughts. ' _Stripping in the middle of the room._ '

"It's my apartment, is it not? I can walk around naked if I want to. Nobody's gonna see." Lucy answered matter-of-factly.

' _Yeah, that's the problem._ ' Camio chirped in as Lucy made her way to the bathroom and started to fill her bathtub. ' _If you wouldn't turn down every hot guy, we might've had someone to strip for._ ' C amio whined, making Lucy remember a couple of horrible moments from her past.

"I don't think Natsu is _that_ hot." Lucy stated with a pout, though she knew she was lying and she knew the two girls knew as well.

' _Now, now, Lucy, don't act like you're not attracted to him. We all know that if he'd ask you to let him have his way with you, you wouldn't be able to decline._ '

Lucy's face flushed red at Camio's words, feeling embarrassed because she couldn't deny the attraction she felt for him.

"T-that's not t- Natsu isn't t- He would never say something like that!" Lucy struggled with her words.

' _Not if you keep pushing him away like that!_ ' Camio's remark made Lucy frown.

"You know I don't have a choice." Her voice had quieted down as she slipped her foot into the hot water.

The two voices became silent as well, knowing exactly what she was talking about.

"If I fall for him, it'll only cause me pain."

' _Mistress, isn't it more painful like this? He's right here. He's real and you've seen how kind his heart is. Rather than chasing after someone you've never met, wouldn't you be much happ-_ '

"Don't." Lucy commanded, not wanting to talk about this anymore.

' _I apologize, Mistress. I was out of line._ '

She let out a sigh, standing up and leaving the warmth of the bath that painfully reminded her of Natsu, no longer feeling like she could relax in the bath anyway. Their friendship would give her a lot of trouble, she could tell by the way her stomach twisted and churned.

If she wanted to save everyone, she needed to put more distance between her and Natsu.

* * *

A couple of days had passed by and Lucy was now intently looking at the request board. Her eyes roamed the pieces of paper with a sharp eye as she looked for any sign that told her demons were wreaking havoc.

"Search for a magic bracelet, remove spell from a cursed stick, fortune telling love with astrology?!" Lucy sighed, none of these requests held what she was looking for.

' _Maybe one of_ those _requests has what we're looking for…_ ' Camio's mischievous voice rang in her mind, making her glance up to the second level. She knew that if a request came in about a demon, the master wouldn't just let anyone do it, so those kind of missions would probably all fall under the S-Class category.

"If you find anything that interests you, let me know since master's not here right now." Mira's voice made Lucy quickly avert her eyes from the S-Class Request Board, not wanting to be found out.

"Huh?" Lucy's eyes locked with Mira's endless blue ones. ' _Did you already forget? The reason why we're picking our request now is because the master is out! You said so yourself that you didn't want to risk that old man finding out about Emperor Zeref's order!_ '

"Oh yeah, you're right." Lucy answered both Mira and Camio.

"He has to attend the Regular Meeting, so he'll be out for a while."

The words caught Lucy's attention, knowing she heard them somewhere before.

"It's a meeting where guild masters from different provinces come to report about their guilds. It's different from the council meeting, though," Mira answered Lucy's unasked question. When she paused, she asked Reedus to borrow a light pen and started scribbling away in the air. She drew out the complete hierarchy of how the government worked, though Lucy already knew everything the silver-haired maiden had just told her thanks to Zeref's lessons.

Just as she was thinking about Zeref, she sensed Natsu sneak up on her. He scared her with a low voice and Lucy faked being surprised by him to not get suspicious glances.

Happy snickered at Lucy and she smiled at the cat as they shared a knowing look. Ever since Lucy had formed a team with Natsu and Happy, the little feline started to trust Lucy more and more. He'd often sneak into her apartment and just talk to her, though whenever she'd bring up her secrets, the cat would always change the subject.

She knew she scared the little guy, and after a while she stopped bringing the topic up and they just ended up talking about Natsu or the guild. Happy did ask what was wrong with Mirajane, his worry overthrowing the fear he must've been feeling.

Lucy told her that she sensed demons inside of Fairy Tail's barmaid, but Happy had shrugged it off as if it hadn't been anything new. _"Mira always had demons."_ He had said. " _Just like Erza, she's a demon, too."_

The words had thrown Lucy for a loop, not knowing if she should do something about this or if the little cat was just exaggerating again. Either way, if nothing happened, she wouldn't do anything, her cover being more important for the moment because of the trouble stirring in the north-east, near Oshibana and Clover town.

When Lucy tuned back in on the conversation, Mira was explaining things about Dark Guilds, but this was something Lucy was even more familiar with than she felt comfortable with.

"… So it's your turn to pick, Lucy." Happy nudged her, pulling her thoughts back from Zeref and the Balam Allience to the conversation she was currently having with Natsu and Happy.

Lucy scolded them for tricking her into their last joined mission. She didn't mind eventually because she learned a bit more about the concealment of magic in books, though she did waste a lot of time that she could've used to finish the mission Zeref bestowed upon her.

"We chose Lucy to be in the team because you're a nice person." At his words, Lucy lost her composure a bit, the two girls in her head squealing at his blunt confession of fondness.

She felt her cheeks heat up and reminded herself to put some distance between them. Natsu was innocent and sweet and that made him dangerous. His denseness regarding anything related to love was what made it so much easier for the lines of friendship to be blurred. He wouldn't realize he'd be crossing the boundaries anyway, so why would he even think of holding back?

Somehow, Lucy realized that it would all depend on her. She tried not to let out a sigh, already struggling with her own fondness of him.

"You're really beautiful." The voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She noticed Natsu and Gray fighting each other from the corner of her eyes, the person in front of her forcing her to look at him.

' _Ugh,_ ' Camio complained. ' _So bright… Quickly, Lucy, do what you're good at! Reject him!_ ' Lucy tried not to react to Camio's insulting words, her mouth opening to react to the advances of Loke when he suddenly took a shaking step back.

"Whoah! Y-you're a Celestial Spirit Mage?!"

Happy quickly added that she already had a contract with a bull and a crab, but Loke had run away before the cat could finish his sentence properly.

"What just happened?" Lucy questioned out loud as she watched his retreating back.

"Loke isn't very good at dealing with Celestial Spirit Mages." Mira explained. "I bet something happened in the past involving a girl."

Lucy watched in confusion when Loke returned, running even faster than when he had left just a moment ago.

"Natsu! Gray!" He called out. "Erza is back!"

Natsu and Gray immediately stopped their brawl, sweat appearing on their faces and fear reflecting in their eyes.

Lucy remembered the name very well, the conversation she had with Happy a while back, making a shiver run down her spine. _"Just like Erza, she's a demon, too."_

"I'm back." A scarlet-haired woman walked in, dropping a ginormous horn in the middle of the guild hall. Her brown eyes inspected everything and locked fiercely with every single Fairy Tail member, making everyone take trembling steps back.

She had an amazingly beautiful body, but it was mostly hidden beneath the armor she wore. Lucy recognized the Heart Kreuz logo, remembering how Zeref once told her she couldn't dress in those robes anymore and how Heart Kreuz was something a lot of young women in this age were wearing. She knew the robes had been from centuries ago, but she liked the freedom those clothes provided her with. She really had to adapt to this new kind of style, though, the clothes all designed to hug her body tightly and to show off parts of her body she didn't know were okay to show.

"… Even if master forgives you, I won't." Her voice pulled Lucy back to the scolding Erza was giving. "Cana, That's an inappropriate drinking posture. Vijeeter, if you're going to dance, do it outside. Wakaba, your cigarette butts are all over the floor. Nav, are you still hanging around the request board? Pick a job already." She let out a deep sigh.

"Are Natsu and Gray here?" She questioned, looking in Happy's direction.

Just then, Lucy couldn't believe what she was seeing. Natsu and Gray had actually pushed aside their rivalry. Lucy watched in bewilderment how Gray and Natsu tried to interact as if they were the best of friends.

Lucy looked to Mira for an explanation and she had already begun drawing out their faces with the light pen. "Natsu and Gray are both scared of Erza. Natsu picked a fight with her before and got beaten up and she found Gray walking around naked once, so she beat him up, too. And then there's Loke, who was hitting on Erza and nearly got himself killed.

' _M-mistress,_ ' Glasya's voice squeaked in her head. ' _She scares us as well…_ ' The two girls admitted, making Lucy shiver as well.

"I need your help." And with those words, Lucy was dragged into yet another mission, one she never would've thought would end up getting her closer to completing her own secret mission for Zeref.

* * *

Another great deal of events had slipped by, Lucy now finding herself on her way with Erza, Natsu, Gray, and Happy to Oshibana.

' _He doesn't look so cute now, does he…_ ' Camio said as Lucy watched Natsu get tortured by the moving train they were in. Lucy thought it was rather adorable, feeling a bit privileged to see Natsu so vulnerable like this.

True, Erza and Gray were there, too, but they've been friends for such a long time now, it would've been weird if they didn't know about this.

Lucy let out a nervous giggle when Erza knocked Natsu out cold. Even though Gray and Natsu would both deny it, she knew the three of them were actually very close.

' _Mistress, how safe are we even with these people?_ ' Glasya's concern made Lucy think. Besides Natsu and Happy, she knew very little of these people.

No. That wasn't true. She knew everything, but at the same time, that information was no longer reliable. Zeref had told her about them all, but whatever image he had of them was from a future that – if Lucy succeeded in her mission – would hopefully not exist.

Gray Fullbuster was one of Natsu's closest friends. He lost almost everyone he held dear to demons. He's set on killing E.N.D. the one that ultimately caused him so much pain. Lucy needed to remind herself every time she spoke to Gray that he'd probably be the one that would get in her way the most. Gray didn't look like he'd ever hurt her, but she knew that hate could run deep, especially if Gray was set on revenge.

Happy was Natsu's partner, an unwavering trust existed between the two. Natsu was the one that raised Happy and they both loved each other to the point where they wouldn't mind getting hurt to save the other.

Erza Scarlet, the fierce armored mage that was so strong, she even had enough power to stop dragons and demons if pushed over the edge. She could love someone unconditionally and help those that have lost their hope to regain that spark. She'd become a fine guild master one day.

Zeref also gave her information about Gajeel and Wendy, though Lucy hadn't come across them yet.

She knew everyone she met and will meet in the future, will die at the end of the great battle. Zeref chose her to save them and with it, his younger brother.

She hoped the rest of the guild wouldn't stand in her way, knowing too well that if they made her choose, she'd choose Zeref.

Lucy did have one advantage, though, something that might help her achieve her goal. She knew about the future and thus she knew what to look out for.

"I've never seen any other magic than Natsu's in Fairy Tail. What magic do you use?" Lucy asked Erza. She already knew of course, but she also knew that the people sitting in front of her now, didn't have access to certain types of magic just yet. Maybe they never will. It would all depend on how Lucy would influence this timeline.

She was getting a headache. The whole thing about time travel was just so complicated.

"I think Gray's magic is more beautiful." Erza said after Happy explained what Erza could do.

Gray then used his hands and a magic seal appeared before the temperature suddenly dropped drastically. When he took one of his hands away, he revealed a miniature Fairy Tail logo, completely made out of solid ice.

' _Looks like this cutie isn't just all looks._ ' Camio's voice purred in Lucy's head as Gray gave her the ice crystal.

' _Wasn't Natsu the cutie?_ ' Glaysa voiced what Lucy was thinking as well.

' _Does it matter? I'd both let them have their way with me._ '

At this, Lucy felt her cheeks heat up, feeling embarrassed she had such a lustful person occupying her thoughts.

* * *

The next moment, Lucy was in quite some predicament.

After they had left the train, Erza revealed what their mission was about. They needed to stop Eisenwald from using Lullaby, one of Zeref's creations.

At that time, Lucy had known about the powerful magic that was Lullaby, but never would she have thought that this was going to be so hard.

"Let me consume your pitiful souls…" The low voice rumbled as the demon appeared in front of her, sending the two voices in her head into high alert.

' _Idiot! Don't stand there! Use us!_ ' Camio had screamed, but Lucy couldn't. Not with so many members of Fairy Tail by her side.

"I'm starving to death so I'm gonna eat your souls."

Another shiver made Lucy take an unsteady step back, the keys on her hip glowing wildly in alarm as well.

"Now, whose soul should I enjoy first?" The demon looked around, locking eyes with Lucy for a moment. She wasn't afraid of him, having met much scarier demons than Lullaby before, but what scared her was not knowing what to do.

If she revealed her true self, would she still be able to save everyone from that dreadful future? And if she didn't do anything, she knew Natsu, Erza and Gray would be able to handle it easily, but it would complicate things even more because her instructions had been oh so clear.

How was she going to pull this off?

"I've decided! I'll eat all of your souls!"

The demon let out an ear-splitting screech, making everybody cover their ears as Lullaby sung his Death Song.

In a second, Natsu, Erza and Gray had run head first into battle, leaving Lucy behind who was still trying to figure out what to do.

"Aren't you going to help?" Happy suddenly asked, making Lucy look at the small feline.

Before Lucy could even react to Happy's question, a loud crash could be heard from where Lullaby hit the building as he was defeated.

The panic dissipated and the smoke cleared. The three Fairy Tail mages standing proudly at the feet of the demon, Lullaby.

In that moment, Lucy realized something.

' _If we ever anger one of those three, we'll be in one serious battle…_ '

Lucy couldn't do anything but agree with the two girls.

"It's time to leave!" The master suddenly yelled, pulling Lucy along as the other masters started to chase them, complaining about the damage.

"Master, we are really sorry for destroying so much property." Erza apologized, but Lucy could only look behind her at the now defeated demon.

' _Mistress, go back! You need to seal him away!_ ' Glasya yelled, but Lucy was fully aware of that.

"Don't worry," She spoke aloud, grinning at Happy. "it'll be alright!"

* * *

Lucy hid herself in some bushes, the fight between Erza and Natsu freshly imprinted in her mind as she stealthily ran towards the building in front of her. It had been quite a shame that the fight was put to an early stop yesterday, but it also provided Lucy with a perfect opportunity.

' _Idiot! Be quiet!_ ' Camio hissed, making Lucy roll her eyes.

"Hush, now! This is not the first time I've done this!" Lucy defended herself as she looked around the corner.

' _Do we even know the way?_ ' Glasya asked worriedly.

"Nope." Lucy snuck behind some pillars as she approached the big wooden doors. "but we'll know when it's close. We'll be able to feel the magical pull when it'll react to the demon particles in my body."

' _Why not just ask that archive spirit of yours to give us a map._ ' Camio whined as Lucy hid behind the door when it suddenly swung open. A council member exited, the woman's dark purple hair swaying from left to right as she took quick steps out of the room.

Lucy nimbly snuck through the now closing door. "Because I don't want to involve my spirits in committing a crime against Fiore's high council!" She hissed back at Camio.

' _Oh, so you're finally going to use us then?_ ' Lucy could hear the joy in the girl's voice.

"If I have to."

Lucy looked around, deciding to follow the stairs up to the second level. "I hate to say this, but because of Erza's trial, we just avoided a lot of trouble. The building's practically empty because they're making all the preparations."

' _Not empty, those people never truly leave this building. This means that they're probably all in one place, their astral bodies being present at the trial._ ' It amazed Lucy a bit that Camio had so much knowledge of the current government and its system, seeing as how she had been bound to Lucy for more than seven years now.

Lucy opened another door and stepped into the corridor that lead to another big door at the end.

Lucy stopped, recognizing the pull on her core as she felt the negative energy reacting to her own body.

"Glasya," Lucy spoke, feeling the energy seep into her as she felt the power taking over her body. She squeezed her eyes shut, clutching her Keys for support. ' _Don't use so much force._ ' Lucy spoke, the pressure on her sternum making it hard for her to keep the airflow to her lungs steady.

"Oh, but I quite like being forceful." Glasya smiled, looking at herself in the reflection of the window. "My, I do look dashing, don't I?"

' _Stop fooling around!_ ' Lucy commanded, trying her best not to let her consciousness slip. She had to use all her power to keep Glasya from completely taking over and if the girl kept stalling even more, Lucy'd be forced to pull Glasya back.

"Now, no need to worry." Glasya moved her hand, the motion creating a pull on the air as the dark magic seal appeared. Lucy could feel the darkness cutting through the skin on her chest, the first line already drawing blood.

' _Only 24 more lines…_ ' Lucy huffed, feeling Glasya pull the magic from her core.

Glasya closed her hand, water being pulled from the air as it now engulfed her hand up to her wrist. She blew the water forward, creating steam that revealed the previously invisible lines.

Nimbly, Glasya made her way through the web of threads, careful not to trigger the alarm. Once she stood in front of the big wooden door, Lucy's voice rasped out. ' _17 more._ '

Glasya grabbed hold of the doorknob, freezing it over instantly. She pushed the door open with ease before stepping inside. Lucy struggled with keeping her sanity, the force of Glasya's mind pushing against hers making it even harder to focus.

Then she spotted it.

' _There!_ '

Glasya walked up to the flute and quickly put it inside the bag that hung around Lucy's hip and went on to search for the second item.

' _Hurry up! Only 9 more left!_ '

"And what do we have here?" The voice echoed through the great hall, bouncing off the walls and off the items stored there.

Glasya turned quickly, slit blue eyes locking with brown ones. The young man looked at her with amusement in his eyes, the red tattoo on his face moving as he smiled.

He looked at her hand, but she wasn't quick enough to pull the pink Fairy Tail mark from his gaze. "Fairy Tail, huh?" His brown eyes shifted back up, locking once again with her own.

' _Shit!_ ' Lucy muttered, feeling the 20th line getting drawn in her skin. ' _Only 5 left.._ '

"What're you here for, demon?" He spoke, the malice in his voice masked by the smile on his face, but Lucy knew they had to get out of there quickly.

It was at that moment, Lucy saw it, the item she was there for. It was lying on a stand by the man's side. He followed her gaze to the item, a smirk appearing on his face as he recognized the book.

"I see." He said. "So, you're here for the Book of Hell."

' _Glasya! We need to get out of here! Just leave the book!_ ' Lucy yelled as the 22nd line was drawn.

"I'm almost tempted to let you take it with you, but tell me, what do you plan on doing with it?"

' _Now!_ '

Glasya raised her hands, the air around them getting drier by the moment before all the water was extracted from the air and a huge pillar of water shot up, pushing through the ceiling.

Glasya looked at the man behind her wall of water, before she ran as quickly as she could.

' _Hurry! We need to get more distance in between! The last line is being drawn!_ ' Lucy yelled and just as she jumped through the window, Lucy was forced to pull Glasya back. She felt control over her body again and landed softly on her feet, grateful that her body still lingered with power from Glasya's control.

' _Idiot!_ ' Camio scolded. ' _That was way too close! If you had waited even a second longer, you'd be dead right now! Meaning we'd be dead as well 'cause Emperor Zeref would definitely kill us!_ '

"It turned out fine in the end, didn't it? So, stop your worrying." Lucy smiled as she looked around.

"Lucy!" Happy called out to her, rushing into her chest when he finally spotted her. "Are you alright?" He sobbed. "I was so worried!"

"I'm fine, but we really need to go now." She said, making him sprout his wings as he grabbed hold of her and took to the sky.

"See that clearing over there?" Lucy pointed towards the gap in the trees. "Stop there for a moment."

Happy released her when she was a few centimeters from the ground, before he slumped to the ground as well, exhausted from flying so fast.

"You did well." Lucy petted him on the head. "I'll make sure I'll give you a fish when we get home."

"Thanks, Lucy" Happy smiled as he watched her take out something from her bag. "L-Lucy," Happy's voice trembled as he watched her place Lullaby's flute in front of her in the grass. "what're you going to d-"

"I'm keeping my promise to you." She winked.

' _Do you remember what to do?_ ' Camio asked, making Lucy nod as she started the summoning.

"In the name of your master, the Dark Mage, I now call to you. Show your true self and be released! Great Etherious, come forth! Lullaby!"

A dark smoke was once again emitted from the flute as the demon appeared in front of Lucy, his dark aura making the heavens protest heavily with thunder and rain.

"You again?" The demon spoke to Lucy, making Happy crawl back against a tree. "Who are you?" He asked as he eyed the human in front of him.

Lucy didn't respond, instead she waited for something to happen. The demon got impatient, roaring out his anger and dissatisfaction.

"Happy, cover your ears." Lucy spoke before the demon released that horrid screech again, but his Death Song did nothing to phase her.

The demon got angry, frustrated this human was unaffected by his attacks. He pulled his fist back, ready to strike the blonde with brute force, making Happy cry out a warning, but she didn't move.

She put her hand up, the massive fist colliding against her small palm with such force, the trees surrounding them bent backwards viciously.

Magic engulfed Lucy, the air around her getting suffocatingly thin when she started chanting. "I am the one who builds the bridge between Humans and Demons…"

"You think you can seal me away?" The demon laughed, trying to pull his enormous hand back from where it connected to Lucy's, "None but the Dark Mage holds that kind of power!" but he couldn't, the magic forcing him to stay where he was.

"…Thou shalt obey my calling and my will. Now, close! Book of the Mass Murderer! Lullaby!"

In an instant, the demon was turned into smoke and forced inside a book, the words 'Lullaby' etched into the cover with dark ink. It slammed shut on its own and just as quickly as the storm had appeared before, the sun returned as if nothing had happened.

Lucy let out a sigh as she slumped to her knees, smiling at Happy who had been staring at her in worry.

"It's okay." She spoke. "I'm okay. I sealed it away."

Happy took tentative steps towards her, his big eyes still on the demonic book. "W-what now?" He questioned as he put his paw against Lucy's arm, rubbing it up and down to soothe her a bit.

"Now we head home." She smiled, putting Lullaby's book into her bag.

* * *

 **So, what do you guys think?**

 **I'll be honest with you guys, I was struggling a bit with the skips. I mean, I don't want to rewrite Fairy Tail in its entirety, as I said before, but I kind of felt a bit unsure if I could just skip a whole lot of action. I felt like it was rushed a bit, do you guys feel it too? I don't know how to make it less rushed, though…**

 **A bit of feedback on this part would be greatly appreciated!**

 **PS. Wednesday's usually my upload day, so I'm not sure if I'll upload another chapter for this story or for the next (Yesterday's History), though I'm not even sure if I'll be able to finish** _ **any**_ **chapter in just two days…**

 **Maybe if you guys inspire me enough, who knows! ;) Anyway, thank you again for your favs, follows and reviews! You really make me feel loved!**

 **Lots of kisses**

 **~Angel**


	5. Ch5, The Ones behind the Mask

**Hey guys!**

 **So it's my birthday today! That's why I wanted to give you all another chapter!**

 **I'm extremely sorry that I've been absent for so long; it's been 11 months already! I even told myself last time to keep up with the writing schedule I made, but my schoolwork got in the way, again :( I can't apologize enough for keeping you waiting so long.**

 **On a cheerier note, I passed nearly all my exams! I had to take 12 exams, spread over a measly 14 days, so it was absolutely horrendous. But I only got three fails, so there's still hope! :D**

 **For this chapter, I just want to say that I really struggled with this one. The first draft I had was epic and amazing! But I wasn't comfortable with revealing so much information this early in the story, so I rewrote it... several times.**

 **This is the end result, so I hope you'll all be happy with it. It's a lot shorter than the previous chapters, but that's because the following chapters will be too important to cut up into too many pieces.**

 **Also, I'd like to thank Mr Z, I see you see, and a guest for their review!**

 **To Mr Z: I really like keeping the mystery in my stories! This sadly is also the reason why you guys had to wait so long for an update... Apologies!**

 **To I see you see: These first couple of chapters are progressing very slowly and I try to keep to the main storyline for now. In a few chapters, however, I'll reveal more background on both Lucy, the demons, Zeref, ... the whole lot ;) So be ready!**

 **To the guest: I'd really love to know who you are! Because of you I decided to finally update this story again. Last week when I finished my exams, I was scrolling through the reviews and I just couldn't get yours out of my head! This story has not been forgotten and I'll try my best to update more often!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail and sadly never will...**

* * *

 **SweetLoveAngel2**

 **Changing Ends - Chapter 05, The Ones behind the Mask**

* * *

Lucy let out a content sigh as Happy released her, her feet touching the cobblestone ground before the feline dropped on her head, releasing a sigh of his own.

"You know," He began, but Lucy cut him off.

"If you say it one more time, I'm going to eat that stash of fish in my apartment that you hid there!" She threatened.

"I- I wasn't going to say you were heavy or something!" Happy defended himself, afraid his fish would pay the price if he angered Lucy again. "Really! I just wanted to compliment you on your weight!"

Lucy let out another sigh, a soft smile appearing on her lips before lightly pulling his tail. "Little idiot." She mused as she started walking.

"Are we going to the guild?" Happy asked when the silence became too much for the guy.

"Yeah." Lucy smiled. "I figured you wanted to see Natsu after being separated for so long." Lucy tried to look up, making eye contact with the cat on top of her head, but in doing so, he almost fell off. "Thanks again for taking me to Era yesterday. You really saved me a lot of time."

"I was just worried." Happy answered in a small voice. "First Erza got arrested and then Natsu left to free her…" He trailed off, a sympathetic expression replacing the smile on Lucy's face.

"Thanks for worrying." She reached up, scratching him behind his ear, earning a soft purr. "I'll tell Mira to grill you a big fish o-"

' _You feel that?_ ' Camio's voice rang in her mind, making her stop in her tracks. Something heavy was hanging in the air, making her body suddenly react in strange ways.

"Aye! A fish! I.. I re- really.. love.." Happy's voice slurred, the sound completely fading when he suddenly fell off Lucy's head, her reflexes fast enough to catch him mid-air.

"Happy?!"

She didn't know what was going on. The cat in her arms was fast asleep, the heavy feeling in the air creeping inside her head, attempting to stop her thoughts.

"Wh- What's happening." She had to steady herself against one of the buildings, her eyes catching the suspicious appearance of a young man in a dark blue cloak. He seemed to float as he walked, gliding graciously over the cobblestone road that lead to Fairy Tail.

His arms were mostly covered in bandages, the green mask and dark blue bandana covering his face almost completely.

' _Stay awake!_ ' Someone told her, but she could no longer recognize the voice.

"I- I need to-"

' _No, don't! Don't let him see you!_ '

Lucy paid the warning no heed, her feet struggling to carry her forward. She was forced to hang on to something, anything that surrounded her, afraid she might not have the strength to get up if she fell down.

She glanced at Happy who was sound asleep in her weakening grip. She needed to get him some help.

Finally, she saw the big doors of Fairy Tail. She stumbled in, gripping one of the tables for support as she took in the state in which her guild members were in.

' _Get out!_ '

"M-master!" She yelled, though her voice only allowed a slurred whisper to escape.

Her eyes met with horribly familiar brown eyes. Lucy felt her control slip in her weakened state, Glasya forcefully pushing her way through her defenses as she took over.

"You." She dropped Happy on the table before she strode over to the mysterious person. "You're the one that stopped us in Era."

The guy's confused brown eyes stared back at her before he turned to his Master for an explanation. Makarov, however, held the same confusion in his dark eyes for a moment, before he hopped off the bar and stepped forward.

"Who are you?" He spoke calmly as he watched cold blue eyes stare back at him.

"That's not really any of your business, now is it, old man?"

"It is as long as you wear that insignia on your body." He pointed to the Fairy Tail mark on her hand. Glasya didn't answer, nor did she avert her gaze from Makarov's. "Does Lucy know you've taken control of her?"

Makarov eyed the seal that was being carved into Lucy's flesh, half of the lines already having been drawn.

"You're one of the 72, aren't you?" The young man behind Fairy Tail's master spoke up.

Glasya's eyes shifted to his, a stare trying to burry its way into his soul, trying to figure out all his little secrets.

"How amusing."

The deep voice made Glasya jump before she looked up at the source of that voice. Her eyes landed on a young man, leaning against the railing on the second level as he watched down in amusement.

"Laxus." Mystogan spoke, acknowledging his presence. Makarov braced himself, knowing what trouble Laxus was capable of creating, but to his surprise, his grandson did nothing.

"I guess you're worthy enough to be defeated by me." He said before he disappeared.

"Mystogan," Makarov interrupted the silence with a firm voice, his eyes shifting back towards the young girl in front of him. "Lift the spell. The longer Lucy's out, the more control this demon will have."

Mystogan just nodded, passing the demon in Lucy Heartfilia's body, their eyes locked until he finally everted his gaze.

The countdown began just as the last two lines of the seal were drawn.

* * *

Lucy felt utterly drained, her body screaming at her to just go back home and abandon this mission. How could she have been so stupid? She let Natsu get into her head again and now she was committing one of the biggest crimes a Fairy Tail mage could make; doing an S-Class job without permission.

When Natsu and Happy had ambushed her last night, she had a slight feeling that the Master put Happy up to it, seeing as the mission regarded an island full of demons. She didn't remember much of what had happened a few days ago, but somehow, Fairy Tail's Master found out about her secret.

Lucy let out a sigh, remembering the serious stare the older man had been throwing at her for the past couple of days. He never voiced it, but it was obvious Makarov knew something, though she did not know to what extent that knowledge went. Neither one of them spoke about it, Lucy too scared to reveal something that he didn't already know, and Makarov still too unsure of what was truly going on. The fact that the Master hadn't approached her gave Lucy some reassurance, but she knew that she had to address this matter sooner or later.

Right now, Natsu and Happy were trying to convince Lucy to just swim to the demon-infested island, but Lucy paid their antics no heed, her mind in too much of a turmoil to busy herself with their craziness.

"Lucy?" Natsu called her name, waving his hand in front of her face as he stared into her eyes. A blush crept up her face as she noticed the close proximity they were in. "Are you ok?"

Natsu had been acting weird as well and Lucy had often wondered if he knew something. She even asked Happy if he had spilled her secret. He hadn't, but he didn't like keeping things from Natsu. She didn't like it either, but she just couldn't involve him. After all, Natsu had nothing to do with Zeref.

The thing that made it so difficult for Lucy was the trust that Natsu had in her. They were a team and she couldn't stand keeping such an important secret from him. Every time their eyes met, Lucy felt a pang of guilt shoot through her chest. How could she continue to lie to someone who was so pure and honest in everything that he did? Was it to protect him? Or to protect herself?

"Natsu," She opened her mouth, clutching his vest with tentative fingers as she let her guilt take over. "I need to-"

"Found ya!" The deep voice cut in, making her release Natsu in an instant, her cheeks flushed red as if she'd been caught doing something indecent to him.

"Gray?!" She exclaimed when she turned to her fellow guild mate.

"Why're you here?" Natsu gritted out, annoyance clearly evident in his voice.

For a moment, Gray looked at Lucy before he averted his eyes to answer Natsu. "Master told me to bring you back."

At that exact moment, Lucy tuned out of their conversation, ignoring their antics and declarations of war against one another. Did the master really send Gray to take them back? True, Natsu might not be powerful enough to clear an S-Class mission yet, but Lucy certainly was. Makarov knew that, didn't he?

When Lucy sensed the magic swell up around her, she turned to see Natsu and Gray prepare for battle, making her jump into action.

"Wait, you guys, just-"

"Are you guys mages?" The man on the boat asked them with wide eyes. "Are you here to stop the curse perhaps?"

"Yeah!" Natsu replied immediately with vigor, making Lucy swallow her nervous feelings down.

"Then hop on in!" The man said with a smile.

"No way!" Gray protested, shifting his eyes to Lucy for a moment to give her another strange look. Natsu took this opportunity to kick Gray in the face and knocking him out in an instant. Then he hauled his rival's ass onto the boat and tied him up, his own face turning green when the motions of the waves hit him.

Lucy released a sigh as she watched her partners. Happy was chewing on a fish, Natsu was already hanging over the edge, and Gray was unconsciously lying on the floor of the tiny boat.

They set sail, the uneasy feeling in Lucy's stomach making her feel more and more on edge. The man, named Bobo, told them about the demonic curse that was resting on the island. The moment he revealed his arm to be infected by demon particles, Lucy knew something was off. Soon after, Bobo even disappeared and the next thing she knew, Lucy was waking up on a rocky beach alongside her companions.

"I- Is everyone ok?" She called out after she confirmed she didn't have any injuries.

Lucy thought back about that demonic curse Bobo mentioned, racking her brain to see if she had ever read something about it. What she could remember about the topic of demonic particles told her that people could indeed be 'infected' and turned into demons, but the process of infusing demon particles in one's body wasn't easy. The victims would've certainly realized that someone or something had been doing it to them, rather than think it was a curse.

Before Lucy realized it, Natsu had already started to take off into the direction of the village, not stopping at all when she called for him to not be hasty and come up with some kind of plan.

Gray spoke up as well, telling him to wait, which instantly made Natsu turn around.

"We've already come this far, you can't take us back!" He said, getting his defenses up.

"No," He gave Lucy a look before he continued. "I'm coming with you guys." Natsu wanted to ask him why, but Gray just said it'd be irritating to let Natsu get on an S-Class mission first, though Lucy knew it was probably because Gray had started to unravel her secret.

"Great!" Natsu beamed. "Let's get going then."

Gray passed Lucy, his eyes locking with hers for a moment, but he turned away just as quickly. Lucy felt her heart sink, she never intended things to go this way. If only she had been more careful. Zeref had even warned her about this, yet she still managed to royally mess things up.

She followed the boys towards the center of the island where they were met with a high wooden gate. After they showed their Guild Marks, the old wood creaked as it was forced to open.

' _Do you feel it?'_ Glasya's voice rang out in her subconsciousness when Lucy walked inside the small village. She glanced around, nodding her head slightly in acknowledgement. She felt it alright.

"What's wrong, Lucy?" Happy asked with worry in his big, round eyes.

Her eyes locked with his and the look she gave the small feline was enough to make him understand. He gulped, looking around frantically for the danger Lucy had already sensed.

"Easy now," Lucy reached out to him, taking him into her arms. "they're harmless."

"Everyone, take off your robes." The mayor ordered and the villagers all revealed the demonic curse that had taken over parts of their bodies.

Lucy looked the demons over, missing the questions Happy was throwing at her, her mind in complete turmoil. She completely tuned out of the conversation at hand and wracked her brain for information, yet she came up empty. Never before had she heard of this kind of demonic curse.

True, people could be turned into demons by infusing them with demonic particles, but this was not the case here. Such a process wouldn't go unnoticed, yet these villagers couldn't think about a single strange thing that had occurred in the past few months.

Except for the moon turning purple.

' _Moon Drip._ '

Lucy frowned, feeling as if she heard those words before, yet she couldn't quite remember from where.

"Guys, what's that mean?" Lucy hissed, trying not to look crazy as she seemingly talked to herself.

' _My, my, dear Mistress, haven't you learned anything from your lessons? Moon Drip is dispel magic that uses the energy of the moon to deactivate or nullify any magical spell._ '

"How can it be sto-" Before Lucy could even finish her question, Galuna's mayor voiced his desperate request.

"Please destroy the moon."

Lucy didn't know how to react to that. She glanced at Natsu and Gray, but they, too had the same expression on their face.

"Please find a way to help us." The mayor added before he turned and retreated into his hut.

"Is it even possible to destroy the moon?" Happy questioned as they, too started to get back to their own little cabin.

"I don't know." Lucy admitted.

"I guess, only a very powerful mage can pull that off." Gray spoke up, his dark blue eyes locking with Lucy's chocolate brown ones.

"If one could, doesn't mean they should." She replied.

"Why shouldn't I?" Natsu asked nonchalantly, laying onto his makeshift bed. Gray scoffed at this, finally breaking away his piercing gaze from Lucy's eyes.

"Who said I was talking 'bout you, Flamebrain?" Gray crossed his arms, a smirk on his face.

"Well, I guess Happy could do it too… He'll be able to fly up there an-"

"Idiot!" Gray punched him, starting the fight that was bound to break out sooner or later. As the two bickered and fought, Lucy took the opportunity to address the two girls again.

"Tell me about the Moon Drip." Lucy said in a hushed voice, glancing at Natsu to make sure he didn't hear her. Of course, he was too preoccupied handing Gray his ass to notice her actions. "Why do you guys even know about this kind of magic?"

' _Because it's harmful to demons, Mistress._ '

"Harmful? How so?" At that moment, Happy noticed her sitting by the window and flew over. They shared a look, but the feline didn't say a word, knowing all too well that Lucy was having an important conversation with those demons in her head.

' _The effects of the spell make low-level demons experience side effects._ '

"Will these side effects affect you? What about me?" She whispered, glancing over at the two boys again.

"Don't worry, Lucy." Happy caught her stare. "It'll be alright." Happy spoke up. "Your secret is still safe. They're too busy to even hear anything else."

Lucy let out a soft smile, pulling the feline on her lap and scratching him behind the ear as she listened to Glasya.

She released a sigh when Glasya finished her explanation, feeling utterly exhausted. "Did they know anything?" Happy asked, looking up at her with curious eyes.

"I didn't know for sure when we met Bobo, it was only after we entered the village that I was sure of it. These people are demons. They were born or created, but they were never human. The purple moon is an effect of some kind of spell, which is affecting the demons on this island. I think it's tampering with their memories because they truly believe themselves to be human."

"If it's a spell, someone must've started it, right?" Happy asked, letting out a purr when Lucy scratched a particularly good spot behind his ear.

Lucy looked down at Happy, a soft smile playing on her lips. The little guy was right, someone was behind this. Maybe it had something to do with the Etherious she felt earlier.

Her eyes wandered to the two boys who were both panting, wiping the sweat from their brow as they took a moment to catch their breath. Lucy was actually extremely relieved those two hadn't gone all out in their fight, knowing that if they had, this entire village would've ended up destroyed.

"Lucy," Happy suddenly spoke up, breaking her train of thought. "why don't you want Natsu to know about you?"

She knew this question would one day be thrown at her and she dreaded it because she still didn't know how to answer it. She wanted nothing more than to be honest with Natsu, but at the same time she couldn't break her promise to Zeref again. Happy already knew, both the Master and Gray probably figured it out, which put her whole mission in jeopardy.

"Lucy?" Happy pulled her attention back from her thoughts once again.

"Besides you, no one is supposed to find out. The more people know about this, the harder it gets for me to protect everyone. You know how Natsu is. If he found out, he'd get himself killed trying to help me. I don't want to see him get hurt."

"You know Natsu can take care of himself." Happy protested, his paw drawing small circles on her skin. "He's strong enough to take on anybody."

Not anybody, Lucy thought. There are so many strong mages out there, mages and even demons with amazing and terrifying powers.

"I guess I'll tell him when I have no other choice, but until then, I'd like for you to keep this a secret for a little while longer."

Happy agreed with a reluctant nod of his head before he looked over at the two boys. Both of them had fallen onto their makeshift beds and were out cold, snoring the night away.

Lucy giggled at the sight. Gray was half-naked and the thin sheets barely covered him, while Natsu seemed to have had a fight with his sheets.

"Lucy," Happy spoke up. "do you wanna tell me a story?" He yawned as he rubbed his paw in his eyes.

"Shouldn't we get to bed? It's been a long and tiring day." Lucy said, already on her feet as she carried the feline over to where the boys had already laid down.

"Please," Happy whined. "just one!" He insisted.

"Alright, but after, we get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay!" Happy cheered.

Lucy settled down on one of the chairs in the corner before she glanced over at Natsu. "How good are Natsu's senses when he's asleep?" She asked Happy as she watched the Dragon Slayer turn on his stomach. "I don't know, but I don't think he'll be able to hear us."

Lucy watched his face for any kind of reaction before she turned her attention back to Happy who had settled on her lap once again.

"Okay, I know just the one to tell." She began as she stroked his fur.

"Once upon a time, there was this beautiful young girl, with hair as golden as the summer sun and eyes the color of earth kissed by warm rays. She was the daughter of a man so powerful, she often felt trapped in the vastness of his reign.

Yet, even though she felt like there was no escape, a glimmer of hope shone down upon her. That hope came in the form of a young man.

From the first moment their eyes met, his fiery gaze had lit something inside her that would forever change the course of their future. Their love started out slow, like smoldering embers, and grew into a blazing fire. One that consumed them both. Their love had grown so strong that on one fateful day, the young girl finally found the courage to put her own happiness first.

She took the boy to her home, ready to share her joy with her father, but they were met with an enraged and unreasonable man.

The father did not like the idea of his only daughter, his princess, marrying some stranger from an unknown family. Power meant everything to the man and he would rather lock his daughter up than hand her over to someone he deemed unworthy.

As punishment for her poor choices in life, she was separated from her one true love. She was forced to watch as her father challenged the young man to a duel. The rules were simple; if he were to win the fight, he would be deemed worthy enough for his daughter and he would not stand in the way of their happiness. But if he were to lose,-"

"Lucy," Happy interrupted her, making her look down at him. "am I going to like this story?"

She gave him a soft smile before she continued.

"Both men fought honorably and when it seemed the boy would lose the battle, fate intervened and saved him. With one last powerful motion, the boy won the fight and won the father's blessing.

The two lovers were united again and lived happily ever after."

* * *

 **That's it for this chapter! Thans for the read!**

 **I'd also like to thank those that added my story to their favourites list and/or alert list in my (very long) absence:**

 **JinxTitan , Kissy-the-legend, qasderwed, That's a Paddlin, AnimeDragin, free-to-fly-2010, Lucy Usui, zamomar1387, Kirinah, LunaScarletCross, phoenixdragon78, Demonleonhart, cantthinkofaname98, rubycheetah47, Frosted Foxi, BlueDiamond3, Chaosscore, ForgetMeNot-x, Loki921, Neo gen x, Tobias97, Stitch22** **!**

 **You guys are the extra reasons why I should write more often, so thanks for the motivation!**

 **Thanks for the support! Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts!**

 **I love you guys!**

 **~ Angel**


End file.
